A lot has happened in the world since we last visited the quirky and thought-provoking work of Atlanta-based BBDO Creative Director Stephen McMennamy. Yet his steadfast #ComboPhotos project continues to churn out clever mashups and engage people around the globe. In fact, as cited in our previous post (here) back in September 2015, he had almost 50K Instagram followers… well, his following has ballooned to 226K and growing. And for good reason. His compositions, which are all comprised of original, thoughtfully captured photography (rather than stock images) are simple and fun. Their brilliance is in their subtlety, and also the purposeful absence of Photoshop blending tools. McMennamy’s work makes us do a double-take, which is a sure measure of something special in our minds. His work is as impressive as ever… can’t wait to check back in another 16 months to see what McMennamy has conjured up.

With financial matters on the minds of many around the world on the heals of our historic presidential election just one week ago, we thought it fitting to share this project by Georgian illustrator/designer Tatiana Trikoz. Commissioned by Swiss banking group Swissquote, Trikoz created these incredibly intricate currency portraits featuring some of the world’s most famous billionaires – Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Trikoz seamlessly adheres to the look of the existing currency she aims to mimic… we are in awe of the stunning details. Perhaps our president-elect will commission her to imagine his likeness on U.S. currency in the near future? Crazier things have happened….

On this Election Day, we bring you some of our favorite works inspired by this historic election season. In order: Boston-based artist and collage master Molly Scannell; Brooklyn-based artist and educator David Hollier; Nashville-based artist and sculptor Herb Williams (previous posts here and here); Brazilian artist Butcher Billy (previous post here); Nashville-based (Rochester-born) painter Kristin Llamas. Politics as the subject of art has never been more prevalent. Whether it be the polarizing nature of this particular presidential election, or the reach of social media (probably both, actually), talented artists from all over the country and world have been churning our artwork inspired by this moment in history. Let’s just hope everyone is as energized to vote. Go vote!

On this Election Day eve, perhaps the most historic U.S. election in our lifetime, a large swath of the population is bound to be unsatisfied with the outcome. With that in mind, we bring you a short video by Paris-based motion design studio Parallel that’s both amusing and unnerving. Though it has no relation to the election itself, it’s a terrifically animated short about everyday situations that are simply unsatisfying. The appeal of this video is twofold for us: not only is it highly relatable (we can honestly say that we’ve felt the frustration of every scenario depicted), but the quality of the work, from the overall style, use of color, animation and sound design, are totally on point. Having realized they really tapped into something, Parallel Studio is now conducting a challenge (here) to fellow animators no matter their skill level, to submit creative takes on other unsatisfying situations.

We are compelled to check in on the work of renowned Russian illustrator/graphic designer Eiko Ojala every so often (here and here) because he’s just so good. Ojala’s style is distinct… we now recognize it from a mile away. These are truly mixed media endeavors, mixing digital illustration, paper textures, and both real and artificial shadows. His adept sense of color, composition and depth are hallmarks of his incredible body of work, which includes illustrations for a variety of impressive clients including The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler Magazine, Herman Miller, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American Mind, Ebony Magazine and The New Yorker. Here’s a sampling of some of his more recent work, including a children’s book he recently illustrated (available for purchase here). Enjoy.